Device for trapping flying insects

ABSTRACT

A flying insect trapping device configured to be used with a fuel supply containing a combustible fuel is disclosed. The trapping device includes a combustion device that includes an inlet port for receiving the combustible fuel, a turbulence reducing structure for substantially laminating flow of a mixture of the combustible fuel and air, a catalyst element disposed downstream of the turbulence reducing structure, a heat zone having a hollow interior space in between the turbulence reducing structure and the catalyst element to enable the combustible fuel to flow into the heat zone for continuous combustion therein to create an exhaust gas comprising carbon dioxide, and a plurality of heat exchanger fins extending inwardly into the hollow interior space of the heat zone for conducting heat generated by the continuous combustion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No.11/907,624, filed on Oct. 15, 207, which claims the benefit of priorityfrom application Ser. No. 11/083,090, filed Mar. 18, 2005 and issuing asU.S. Pat. No. 7,281,351 on Oct. 16, 2007, which claims the benefit ofpriority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/554,409, filedMar. 19, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for trapping flying insectssuch as mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and other insects.

2. Description of Related Art

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,145,243 (“the '243 patent”) and 6,840,005 (“the '005patent) disclose insect trapping devices developed by the assignee ofthe present application, American Biophysics Corp. of North Kingstown,R.I. The '243 patent and the '005 patent disclose devices that usecombustion to generate a flow of carbon dioxide for attractingmosquitoes and other flying insects towards the devices. In each device,a vacuum draws the insects attracted by the carbon dioxide through aninlet and into a trap chamber. The trap chamber includes a disposablemesh bag in which the mosquitoes become dehydrated. When the bag becomesfull, it can be removed and replaced.

While the devices disclosed in the '243 patent and the '005 patent havebeen commercially successful for American Biophysics Corporation,further product development efforts by the inventors of the presentapplication have yielded a number of improvements that are directed toimproving the devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention provides a flying insect trapping deviceconfigured to be used with a fuel supply containing a combustible fuel.The trapping device comprises a supporting frame, an insect inletconfigured to receive flying insects, an insect trap chambercommunicated to the insect inlet, and configured to receive the flyinginsects from the insect inlet, and a combustion device. The combustiondevice comprises an inlet port for receiving the combustible fuel, aturbulence reducing structure for substantially laminating flow of amixture of the combustible fuel and air, a catalyst element disposeddownstream of the turbulence reducing structure, a heat zone having ahollow interior space in between the turbulence reducing structure andthe catalyst element to enable the combustible fuel to flow into theheat zone for continuous combustion therein to create an exhaust gascomprising carbon dioxide, and a plurality of heat exchanger finsextending inwardly into the hollow interior space of the heat zone forconducting heat generated by the continuous combustion. The trappingdevice also includes an exhaust outlet configured to receive the exhaustgas and allow the exhaust gas to flow outwardly therethrough so thatinsects attracted to the carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas will flytowards the trapping device. An electrically powered vacuum device iscommunicated to the insect inlet and constructed to draw the insectsattracted to the trapping device into the insect trap chamber via theinsect inlet. The trapping device further includes a heat sinkconfigured to dissipate heat, and a thermoelectric device for generatingelectric current as heat transfers from a first side thereof to a secondside thereof. The thermoelectric device has the first side disposed incontact with the combustion device and the second side disposed incontact with the heat sink to enable heat generated by the continuouscombustion, including heat conducted by the fins, to be transferred tothe heat sink via the thermoelectric device to generate the electriccurrent. The thermoelectric device is electrically coupled to at leastthe vacuum device to power the vacuum device.

Another aspect of the invention provides an insect trapping device thatis configured to be used with a fuel supply containing a combustiblefuel. The trapping device comprises a supporting frame comprising ahousing having a lower housing part and an upper housing part. The upperhousing part is movably connected to the lower housing part for movementbetween open and closed positions. The trapping device also includes aninsect inlet configured to receive flying insects, and an insect trapchamber removably mounted on the lower housing part, and configured toreceive the flying insects from the insect inlet. The insect trapchamber is accessible and removable when the upper housing part is inthe open position and is covered by the upper housing part when theupper housing part is in the closed position. A combustion device ismounted on the lower housing part. The combustion device is configuredto provide an interior space for continuous combustion of thecombustible fuel therein to create an exhaust gas comprising carbondioxide. An exhaust outlet is configured to receive the exhaust gas andallow the exhaust gas to flow outwardly therethrough so that insectsattracted to the carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas will fly towards thetrapping device. The trapping device further includes a vacuum devicecommunicated to the insect inlet and constructed to draw the insectsattracted to the trapping device into the insect trap chamber via theinsect inlet, and a supporting member movable between (a) a supportingposition supporting the upper housing part in the open position, and (b)an inoperative position allowing the upper housing part to move to theclosed position.

Another aspect of the invention provides a flying insect trapping deviceconfigured to be used with a fuel supply containing a combustible fuel.The trapping device comprises a supporting frame, an insect inletconfigured to receive flying insects, an insect trap chamber configuredto receive the flying insects from the insect inlet, and a combustiondevice configured to provide an interior space for continuous combustionof the combustible fuel therein to create an exhaust gas comprisingcarbon dioxide. The trapping device also includes an exhaust outletconfigured to receive the exhaust gas and allow the exhaust gas to flowoutwardly therethrough so that insects attracted to the carbon dioxidein the exhaust gas will fly towards the trapping device. An electricallypowered vacuum device is communicated to the insect inlet andconstructed to draw the insects attracted to the trapping device intothe insect trap chamber via the insect inlet. A heat sink is configuredto dissipate heat, and a thermoelectric device generates electriccurrent as heat transfers from a first side thereof to a second sidethereof. The thermoelectric device has the first side disposed incontact with the combustion device and the second side disposed incontact with the heat sink to enable heat generated by the continuouscombustion to be transferred to the heat sink via the thermoelectricdevice to generate the electric current. The thermoelectric device iselectrically coupled to at least the vacuum device to power the vacuumdevice. The trapping device further includes a clamping device forpressing the combustion device against the thermoelectric device tosubstantially evenly distribute the heat being conducted from thecombustion device across the first side of the thermoelectric device.The clamping device is connected to the heat sink and is configured toapply a single point of contact to the combustion device, the singlepoint of contact being substantially aligned with a center of the firstside of the thermoelectric device.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a flying insecttrapping device configured to be used with a fuel supply containing acombustible fuel. The trapping device comprises a supporting frame, aninsect inlet configured to receive flying insects, an insect trapchamber configured to receive the flying insects from the insect inlet,a combustion device configured to provide an interior space forcontinuous combustion of the combustible fuel therein to create anexhaust gas comprising carbon dioxide, and an exhaust outlet configuredto receive the exhaust gas and allow the exhaust gas to flow outwardlytherethrough so that insects attracted to the carbon dioxide in theexhaust gas will fly towards the trapping device. A vacuum device iscommunicated to the insect inlet and constructed to draw insectsattracted to the trapping device into the insect trap chamber via theinsect inlet, and an insect attractant receptacle is disposed in fluidcommunication between the combustion device and the exhaust outlet. Theattractant receptacle is configured to receive a diffusible insectattractant that diffuses into the exhaust gas before the exhaust gasexits the trapping device via the exhaust outlet. The insect attractantreceptacle includes an opening for enabling the insect attractant to beremoved and replaced, and a cover removably covering the opening. Thecover is removable to allow access to the attractant in the attractantreceptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which correspondingreference symbols indicate corresponding part, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a flying insect trapping deviceconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, from the top, of the flying insect trappingdevice shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view, from the bottom, of the flying insecttrapping device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the combustionassembly and sub-housing of the flying insect trapping device shown inFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of an upper shell of the flying insecttrapping device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the upper shell shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the combustion assembly and sub-housing of theflying insect trapping device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view through line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the combustion assembly of the flying insecttrapping device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the combustion assembly shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view through line 11-11 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the combustion assembly, heatsink, and intake fan of the flying insect trapping device shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 13 is an end view of a combustion chamber portion of the combustionassembly of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the combustion chamber portion ofFIG. 13 taken along line XIV-XIV.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

FIG. 1 illustrates a flying insect trapping device 10 constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. The device 10 isdesigned to be used with a supply of combustible fuel, such as a propanetank of the type conventionally used by consumers for supplying fuel toa barbeque grill. As will be discussed in greater detail below, thedevice 10 generates a supply of CO₂ gas and water vapor, which isreleased as an insect attractant, and is also configured to generate allthe electrical power it needs to operate.

Broadly speaking, the general function of the device 10 is to emit anoutflow comprising an insect attractant, i.e., CO₂ gas, for attractingmosquitoes and/or other flesh biting insects. Then, an inflow draws theattracted insects into a trap chamber within the device 10, whereat theinsects are captured and may be killed by poison ordehydration/starvation. Alternatively, a user engaged in the study ofinsects may opt to not kill the captured insects and instead may removethem from the device 10 prior to dying for purposes of live examination.Regardless of the specific insect capturing purpose the user has inmind, the overall function of the device 10 is to attract and captureflying insects. The specifics of how the present invention operates toachieve this broad general function is discussed herein below.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the device 10 comprises a supporting frame 12.The supporting frame 12 includes a housing 14 that provides a mountingstructure 16, e.g., a tubular support. The supporting frame 12 mayinclude one or more legs that can be operatively engaged with themounting structure 16 on the housing 14 for supporting the housing 14 inan elevated position from the ground. The supporting frame 12, however,may have any construction or configuration suitable for carrying theoperative components discussed herein below, for example a tripodarrangement may also be used. Additionally, the frame 12 may includewheels, as shown in the aforementioned '243 patent and '005 patent, theentirety of each of which is hereby incorporated into the presentapplication by reference. Alternatively, instead of using legs, theframe 12 may include a bracket (not shown) for mounting the device 10 tothe interior or exterior wall of a building, a fence, etc., or a hanger(not shown) for suspending the device 10 from a post or ceiling.Further, the supporting frame 12 may also include a supporting deck forcarrying the propane tank, so that the tank and device 10 can betransported together as a unit, as is also shown in the '243 patent.

The housing 14 includes an upper shell 18, or portion, (which mayinclude an opaque, translucent, or transparent portion 20) that ispivotally mounted to a lower shell 22, or portion, for pivotal movementbetween open and closed positions. In the open position, access to theinterior of the housing 14 is permitted. The shells 18, 22 may be lockedin a closed position. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper shell 18includes a movable lock member 19 (e.g., see FIGS. 5 and 6) that isreleasably received within a recess provided in the lower shell 22 so asto lock the upper shell 18 in the closed position. Also, the upper andlower shells 18, 22 each include an elongated recess that cooperate,when in the closed position, to provide a handle for carrying purposes.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shells 18, 22 are molded fromplastic. Additionally, the shells 18, 22 each have hinge portions moldedin one piece therewith. The hinge portions interlock with one another toprovide the pivotal movement. However, the housing 14 in general may bemade from any material and may take any shape, configuration, orconstruction.

As shown in FIG. 1-3, a tubular intake nozzle 30 protrudes downwardlyfrom the bottom of lower shell 22 and is formed integrally therewith.The intake nozzle 30 has a flared lower end 32, which is attached byfasteners or snap-fitting to, and thus forms a part of, the intakenozzle 30. The flared lower end 32 defines an insect inlet opening thatopens to the surrounding atmosphere. As will be appreciated from thedetails provided below, a vacuum is applied to the intake nozzle 30 andthe insects attracted to the insect attractant emanated by the device 10will be drawn into the insect inlet opening for capture. The intakenozzle 30 and the inlet opening provided thereby may be carried on theframe 12 in any suitable matter and the construction illustrated anddescribed is only an exemplary construction. Thus, other constructionsor configurations may be used. For example, multiple insect inletopenings, and/or openings with other locations, shapes or orientationsmay be used.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, a sub-housing 24 is mounted to the lower shell 22of the housing 14. The sub-housing 24 encloses a combustion assembly 26of the device 10 and the combustion assembly is structured to generatethe supply of CO₂ gas and water vapor. The sub-housing 24 also providesan exhaust path from the combustion assembly to the surroundingatmosphere, an insect attractant containing structure, and airflowgenerators, as will be further discussed below. Further, the sub-housing24 may include a spring-biased support member 28 that is structured tosupport the upper shell 18 in an open position with respect to the lowershell and sub-housing 24 mounted thereto. In the illustrated embodiment,one or more coil springs bias the support member 28 to an upwardlyextending support position. The support member 28 can be pivoteddownwardly adjacent the sub-housing, against the biasing of thespring(s), when the upper shell 18 is in a closed position.

As illustrated, the sub-housing 24 includes an outlet nozzle 34 that isconcentrically mounted within the intake nozzle 30. The outlet nozzle 34has an elongated tube 35, which is attached by fasteners or snap-fittingto, and thus forms a part of, the outlet nozzle 34. The elongated tube35 of the outlet nozzle 34 provides an exhaust outlet opening on thelower end thereof that opens to the surrounding atmosphere. Morespecifically, as best shown in FIG. 8, the sub-housing 24 includes aconduit 36 having an inlet 38 and an outlet 40. The inlet 40 iscommunicated with an outlet of the combustion assembly 26, and theoutlet 40 is communicated with the outlet nozzle 34 and exhaust outletopening thereof. An exhaust fan 41 is positioned at the lower end of theoutlet nozzle 34 to urge the combustion gases of the combustion assembly26 to pass through the outlet nozzle 34. That is, the exhaust fan 41produces negative pressure which draws combustion gases from thecombustion assembly 26 and forces it out the outlet nozzle 34. As aresult, exhaust from the combustion assembly 26 flows from thecombustion assembly 26, through the conduit 36, and out the exhaustoutlet nozzle 34 to the surrounding atmosphere. The exhaust fan 41 ispowered by electricity delivered from a controller, as will be furtherdiscussed below.

The outlet nozzle 34 and its exhaust outlet opening allows a “plume” ofexhaust gas comprising carbon dioxide, water vapor, and an optionalchemical insect attractant to flow outwardly and downwardly therefrom.As the downward flow of the exhaust gas reaches the ground, it flowsradially outwardly from the device 10 along the ground. Mosquitoes andother insects attracted to the carbon dioxide, water vapor, and insectattractant will be able to sense this radiated plume of carbon dioxide,water vapor, and insect attractant and follow the same to its source,namely the exhaust outlet opening.

As can be appreciated from the construction disclosed, because theoutlet nozzle 34 is concentric with the intake nozzle 30, the attractedinsects will follow the insect attractant to its source (i.e., theoutlet opening) and thus they will be immediately adjacent the insectinlet upon reaching the outlet opening. As a result, the attractedinsects will be “vacuumed” by the inflow into the intake nozzle 30whereby they are drawn into the device 10 and captured therein. Therespective flows of the vacuum intake and the exhaust gas outflow areindicated by the inflow and outflow arrows in FIG. 8, and are referredto as “counterflow.” For further details and variations on this aspectof the disclosed construction, reference may be made to theabove-incorporated '243 patent and '005 patent. Also, reference may bemade to U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,249, filed Sep. 17, 1996, the entirety ofwhich is hereby incorporated into the present application by reference.Further, outlet nozzle 34 and its outlet opening may be carried on theframe in any suitable manner and the construction illustrated anddescribed is only an exemplary construction. For example, multipleoutlet openings and/or openings with other locations, shapes ororientations may be used.

As shown in FIG. 8, a mesh bag 42, the interior of which defines aninsect trap chamber, is removably mounted to the sub-housing 24 adjacentthe intake nozzle 30. The chamber defined by the bag 42 is communicatedto the inlet opening so that the insects drawn in by the vacuum will bedeposited in the bag whereat they will become dehydrated and perish.Alternatively, the material of the bag may be treated with a poison forpurposes of facilitating the insect termination function; however, thatis not a necessary feature of the invention. The mesh bag 42 may includea rigid frame portion 44 (shown as a mouth) that is removably attachableto the sub-housing for mounting the mesh bag 42 to the sub-housing 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sub-housing 24 includes an access door 46 thatcan be pivotally moved between open and closed positions. The accessdoor 24 permits access into the interior of the sub-housing 24 to allowthe user to access the mesh bag 42 as desired for purposes ofremoval/replacement. Also, as another alternative, a plastic box or anyother suitable structure may be used in place of the mesh bag. In theillustrated embodiment, the access door 46 may be formed from atransparent material to enable the user to visually inspect the mesh bag42 to determine whether it needs removal/replacement. Specifically, adoor made of transparent material would enable the user to visuallyverify whether the bag 42 is at or near its full capacity of insects.Also, the upper shell 18 of the housing 14 may include a transparentportion 20 that would enable the user to visually inspect the bag 42without opening either of the upper shell 18 of the housing 14 or theaccess door 46 of the sub-housing 24.

As shown in FIG. 8, air flows into inlet opening and through intakenozzle 30 causing any flying insects which may be located in thesurrounding atmosphere proximate to the inlet opening to be drawn intoand deposited into the bag 42 which is communicated with the inletopening via intake nozzle 30. The vacuum that causes the inflow of airinto the device 10 is created by an electrically-powered fan 48 which isplaced downstream of the bag 42. The fan 48 is powered by electricitydelivered from a controller, as will be further discussed below. The fan48 is configured to draw air from the upstream direction, e.g., throughthe inlet opening, then through the intake nozzle 30 and then throughthe mesh bag 42, to produce a vacuum which is capable of drawing insectsinto device 10. The ambient air which is drawn through the bag 42 by thefan 48 is then sent downstream past the fan to cool the combustionassembly 26. The fan 48 includes a grid barrier or baffle 50 which isprovided to prevent the mesh bag 42 from contacting the fan 48.Additionally, one or more filters 52 are provided in the housing 14 andsub-housing 24 to ensure the air that is passed over the combustionassembly 26 is exhausted out of the device 10. The filters 52 areconstructed of a metallic mesh fabric, however, more broadly, anysuitable filtering method would be acceptable.

An insect attractant that includes CO₂ gas and water vapor is generatedby burning propane, or any other suitable hydrocarbon fuel, in thecombustion assembly 26 provided within the housing 14.

The lower shell 22 of the housing includes a series of integrally moldedribs defining a relatively flat area for mounting the combustionassembly 26. The lower shell 22 also includes a pair of openings 54, 56.Opening 54 is provided for allowing a regulator hose 57 to be insertedtherein and connected to the combustion assembly 26 for purposes ofsupplying combustible fuel, preferably propane, thereto. Opening 56 isprovided for allowing a valve assembly 58 to be inserted therein andconnected to the combustion assembly 26 for purposes of expellingcombustible fuel from the combustion chamber of the combustion assembly26, as will be discussed below.

As best shown in FIGS. 9-11, the combustion assembly 26 includes acombustion chamber portion 60 that provides a generally cylindricalcombustion chamber 62. The combustion chamber portion 60 is at leastpartially formed from a heat conductive material, such as aluminum,copper, steel or any other metal. It is contemplated that a portion ofthe combustion chamber portion 60 may be formed from a ceramic, or anyother heat resistant insulating material, as will be discussed infurther detail below.

An inlet chamber 64 is mounted to one end of the combustion chamberportion 60, e.g., by fasteners, and an exhaust chamber 66 is mounted tothe opposite end of the combustion chamber portion 60, e.g., byfasteners. Insulators 68, e.g., gaskets, are mounted between thecombustion chamber portion 60 and each of the inlet and exhaust chambers64, 66.

The inlet chamber 64 has an inlet that is communicated with a source ofair and a source of propane so as to provide an air/propane mixture tothe combustion chamber 62 of the combustion chamber portion 60.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, an air supply portion 70, in the formof an air duct, extends between the inlet chamber 64 and a side of theheat sink 72. Air from the downstream side of the fan 48 enters the airsupply portion 70 through an opening adjacent the heat sink 72, and theair is delivered to the inlet chamber 64 where it mixes with fuelsupplied by a fuel nozzle connected to the inlet chamber 64. As shown inFIGS. 8 and 12, air enters the inlet chamber 64 through one or moreopenings 71, e.g., two openings, provided in the inlet chamber 64. As aresult of this arrangement, air can be delivered to the combustionchamber 62 by forcing air by the fan 48 through the inlet chamber 64 viathe air supply portion 70.

A fuel nozzle 78 is received in the inlet chamber 64. The nozzle 78 maybe of a conventional type and may have a spray angle of approximately 45degrees. The nozzle 78 is communicated to a solenoid manifold 76. An endof the regulator hose 57 of a propane source regulator 74 associatedwith the fuel supply (i.e., propane tank) connects to the solenoidmanifold 76 and the manifold establishes fluid communication between thefuel supply and the nozzle 78, thereby providing for delivery of thecombustible fuel to the nozzle 78 and hence the combustion chamber 62.The combustible fuel mixes with air delivered by the air supply portion70 and the mixture is delivered via the inlet chamber 64 to thecombustion chamber 62.

A solenoid valve of the solenoid manifold 76 moves between an openposition for enabling the fuel to flow through the manifold for deliveryto the nozzle 78 and a closed position for preventing the fuel fromflowing through the manifold, and thus preventing it from flowing to thenozzle 78. The solenoid valve may include a spring biasing the valvetowards its closed position. The solenoid manifold 76 and solenoid valvethereof is electrically communicated to a controller and the controllercan transmit electrical signals to energize the solenoid valve and moveit between its open and closed positions. Under certain operatingconditions, as dictated by a control scheme, the controller caninterrupt the aforementioned electrical signal in order to cause thespring to move the valve to its closed position for the purpose ofpreventing further fuel flow to the nozzle 78 and the combustion chamber62.

Although, as described above, the solenoid manifold 76 provides acontinuous flow of fuel to the combustion chamber, the solenoid may alsobe configured to provide a pulsed (intermittent) flow of fuel duringoperation. Further details of a pulsing solenoid are disclosed in U.S.Pat. application Publication No. 2004/0237382, the entirety of which ishereby incorporated by reference.

Additionally, a valve assembly 58 comprising a tube and a valve may beoperatively connected to the solenoid manifold 76 for purposes offlushing or expelling combustible fuel from the combustion chamber ofthe combustion assembly 26 with pressurized air. The valve assembly 58may also enable flushing of the fuel delivery apparatus, including thesolenoid manifold and the nozzle, by a fluid such as a gas or a liquid.Further details of the valve assembly 58 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,817,140, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.The use of the solenoid manifold 76 and the release valve assembly 58 isa preferred feature and should not be considered limiting.

As best shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a relatively thin diffuser plate 80 ismounted within the combustion chamber 62 adjacent the inlet chamber 64.The diffuser plate 80 has a plurality of apertures therethrough. Anuncoated, catalytically inactive monolith 82 is positioned within thecombustion chamber 62 downstream from the diffuser plate 80. Themonolith 82 has a series of elongated essentially linear conduits formedthrough the length thereof, e.g., 100 cells. A platinum coated,catalytically active monolith 84 is positioned within the combustionchamber 62 downstream from the uncoated monolith 82 in spaced relationtherefrom. The monolith 84 also has a series of elongated essentiallylinear conduits formed through the length thereof, e.g., 100 cells. Aninsulating material 86 may be positioned radially between both themonoliths 82, 84 and the interior surface of the combustion chamber 62.Finally, another catalyst element 88, e.g., one or more additionalcatalytically active monoliths, a plurality of platinum coated catalystbeads, or any combination thereof, may be positioned within thecombustion chamber 62 adjacent the monolith 84. It is also contemplatedthat a single catalytically active monolith 84 may be used in place of aseries of monoliths and/or the catalyst beads. It has been determinedthat utilizing a catalytically active monolith 84 rather than catalystbeads may increase the life of the catalyst, as the conduits through themonolith 84 help to distribute the flow of the exhaust gas more evenlyover the catalyst. A flat screen 90 is positioned between the catalystelement 88 and the exhaust chamber 66.

The wall of the combustion chamber portion 60 has an igniter receivinghole formed therethrough and positioned between the monoliths 82, 84. Anigniter 92 can be inserted through the hole and positioned in betweenthe monoliths 82, 84. The igniter is powered by electricity deliveredfrom a controller and creates a spark that ignites a fuel/air mixtureflowing between the monoliths 82, 84. During operation, as the fuel/airmixture continues to flow through the monoliths 82, 84, the fuel/airmixture will be continuously combusted. This region is referred to asthe combustion point, or heat zone 134, and is shown in greater detailin FIG. 14 and is further discussed below. The heat zone 134 is locateddownstream of the monolith 82, and has a hollow interior. That is, thereare no removable elements, e.g. catalyst beads, monoliths, etc., withinthe interior of the heat zone 134. During combustion, the catalyticallyactive monolith 84, and optional catalyst element 88 help to convert anycarbon monoxide in the resulting exhaust gas to carbon dioxide. Thisconversion may occur within the catalyst element 88 or may occur beforethe catalyst element 88, e.g. in the monolith 84.

As best shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a plurality of heat exchanger fins 130extend radially inwardly into the interior space of the combustionchamber 62 in the heat zone 134. The fins 130 are configured to conductheat generated by the continuous combustion away from the interior spaceof the heat zone 134 of the combustion chamber 62. The fins 130 arepreferably made of a high heat conducting material, such as aluminum,copper, or any other suitable material. The fins 130 are arranged toconduct the heat generated by the continuous combustion to a back side132 of the combustion chamber portion 60. The back side 132 of thecombustion chamber portion 60 is preferably a substantially flat, smoothsurface. It has been found that the configuration and arrangement of thefins 130 allow more heat to be extracted from the interior of thecombustion chamber 62, as compared to a configuration without the fins130, while minimizing disruption of the flow of the exhaust gas flowingthrough the combustion chamber 62, as well as the pressure drop acrossthe heat zone 134, as will be discussed in further detail below. It iscontemplated that a top portion 140 of the combustion chamber portion 60that is located opposite the fins 130 may be fabricated out of a ceramicmaterial to further direct the heat towards the back side 132 of thecombustion chamber portion 60.

As shown in FIG. 14, the combustion chamber 62 may include a pluralityof zones, including the heat zone 134, a laminating zone 136 and acatalyst zone 138. The monolith 82 may be placed in the laminating zone136, and the catalytically active monolith 84 may be placed in thecatalyst zone 138 so that the heat zone 134 is bound by the laminatingmonolith 82 and the catalytically active monolith 84. It has been foundby the inventors that by controlling the volume of the fins 130 relativeto the volume of the heat zone 134, the disruption of the flow of theexhaust gas and pressure drop within the combustion chamber 62 may beminimized, while a significant amount of additional heat may beextracted from the heat zone 134, and, hence, combustion chamber 62.Preferable range of ratios of the volume of the fins 130 to the volumeof the heat zone 134 is about 0.05 to about 0.15, more preferably about0.09 to about 0.13, and most preferably about 0.11. In a particularembodiment that utilizes a ratio of 0.11, it is expected that thetemperature of the back side surface 132 of the combustion chamber 62may be increased to a temperature between about 325° F. to about 375° F.without substantially affecting the flow of the exhaust has through theheat zone 134, and experiments have shown that the back side surface 132may be sustained over several hours at a temperature of about 350° F.This example is not intended to be limiting in any way.

The combustion operation occurs as follows. The fuel (i.e., propane) issprayed by the nozzle 78 into the upstream end of the combustion chamber62 and air is also forced into the upstream end of the combustionchamber 62 via the air supply portion 70 for mixture with the fuel. Thiscreates a turbulent mixture of fuel and air. At this point, turbulenceis desirable to ensure that the fuel and air mix together thoroughly.However, turbulence is undesirable at the combustion point. Thus, thediffuser plate 80 functions to disperse the fuel into the air and toinitially reduce the turbulence, and therefore initially “straightens”the flow. Specifically, as the mixture flows downstream through theapertures formed through the plate 80, the apertures function to “align”the mixture flow in the downstream direction and reduce the turbulencethereof, thus making the flow somewhat more laminar. As the mixturecontinues to flow downstream, it enters the conduits of the monolith 82that is disposed within the laminating zone 136. The elongated,essentially linear configuration of these conduits eliminatesessentially all the turbulence and provides an essentially laminar flowof fuel/air mixture to the heat zone 134, or combustion point. Becausethe fuel and air have been thoroughly mixed upstream while in a highlyturbulent state, the mixture delivered by the monolith 82 to thecombustion point is essentially homogenous. A homogenous and laminarmixture flow is desirable for ensuring that all the fuel is burnedduring combustion. Specifically, a homogenous flow provides for evencombustion of all the fuel and air present at the combustion point andlaminar flow prevents “pockets” of unburned fuel from passing throughwith exhaust gas, as may happen if the mixture were highly turbulentduring combustion, thereby increasing the efficiency of the fuel. Thisis desirable to avoid the presence of fuel in the ultimate exhaust gas,as the presence of fuel is believed to be ineffective at attractingflying insects, and in fact may be a repellent.

The air-fuel mixture is burned by combustion to create a heated exhaustgas. This exhaust gas includes, among other things, carbon dioxide andsome carbon monoxide. As the exhaust gas flows through the catalyticallyactive monolith 84, and optional catalyst element 88 in the catalystzone 138, the catalytically active material causes a reaction to occurwhereby the carbon monoxide present in the gas is converted to carbondioxide. A by-product of this reaction, commonly referred to ascatalytic conversion, is also the creation of water (in vaporized form)in the exhaust gas. The manner in which this reaction occurs is wellknown and need not be described in further detail. The reason forproviding this reaction is to eliminate, as much as possible, thepresence of carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas, as it is known thatcarbon monoxide is a repellent to mosquitoes and other flying insects.The presence of water in the exhaust gas is an advantageous, althoughnot necessary, result of the catalytic conversion reaction because theresulting exhaust gas will better mimic the exhalation of a mammal,which is typically moist due to presence of water.

The combustion gases, including CO₂ and water vapor, are brought to theinlet 38 of the sub-housing conduit 36 through the exhaust chamber 66.The exhaust fan 41 draws the combustion gases through the conduit 36towards the outlet nozzle 34. Also, the exhaust fan 41 draws airdownstream from the fan 48 into the conduit 36 through openings providedbetween the conduit 36 and exhaust chamber 66. This air mixes with thecombustion gases and the fan 41 urges the mixture to pass through theoutlet nozzle 34.

The inventors have also found that embodiments of the insect trappingdevice 10 may provide a gas that exits the trapping device 10 withbetween about 5,000 ppm and about 15,000 ppm CO₂, and more typicallybetween about 9,500 ppm and 13,500 ppm, which is double and even triplethe output of CO₂ of many of the prior art devices. Of course, suchamounts should not be considered to be limiting an any way and aremerely provided as an example of the improved efficiency of the trappingdevice 10.

The inventors have also found that by providing the combustion assembly26 of the type described above, the orifice of the fuel nozzle 78 may beincreased, due to the reduced pressure drop created within thecombustion device 26. Such an increase may improve the reliability ofthe nozzle 78, as contaminants in the combustible fuel may impede theflow of the fuel through the nozzle 78, or even clog the nozzle 78. Forexample, many trapping devices of the prior art have fuel nozzles withorifice diameters of about 0.0045″ to about 0.006″, due to the highpressure drop created within those devices. By providing a moreefficient combustion assembly 26 of the design disclosed herein, it hasbeen found that the orifice may be increased to about 0.010″ andgreater, e.g. to about 0.050″. In one embodiment, the orifice diameterhas been increased to about 0.013″. In another embodiment, the orificediameter has been increased to about 0.033″. These diameters should notbe considered to be limiting in any way.

As shown in FIG. 8, a thermoelectric generator includes a thermoelectric(TE) module 94 (with graphoil on both sides). The thermoelectricgenerator may include a single TE module or an array of TE modules,e.g., TE modules arranged in series. The TE module 94 is mounted betweenthe back side 132 of the combustion chamber portion 60 and an extrudedaluminum heat sink 72. The output voltage of the TE module 94 is used topower the controller which controls operation of the components of thedevice, i.e., intake fan 48 and exhaust fan 41. The voltage and currentgenerated are a direct function of the number of junctions, thedifference in temperature from a hot side of the module 94 adjacent tothe combustion chamber portion 60 (as discussed above, several heatexchanging fins 130 extend into the combustion chamber 62 to conductadditional heat to the back side 132 of the combustion chamber portion60) to a cold side adjacent to the heat sink 72 (fan 48 blows a flow ofair onto the heat sink 72 to cool it), and the heat flux though themodule 94. The combustion chamber portion is also surrounded withinsulation 96 to increase the temperature gradient. Further details ofhow a TE module operates is disclosed in the '243 patent.

As discussed, above, the addition of the heat exchanger fins 130 hasbeen found to increase the amount of heat that may be extracted from thecombustion chamber portion 60, thereby increasing the temperature at theback side surface 132 of the combustion chamber portion 60. This in turnincreases the temperature at the hot side of the module 94, whichincreases the output of the module 94, when keeping all other variablesdescribed above constant. Preferably, the temperature differentialbetween the hot side and the cold side of the module 94 is about 170° F.to about 250° F. Testing of embodiments of the trapping device 10 of thepresent invention has found the temperature differential to be about230° F. Of course, further improvements may be made to optimize thetemperature at the cold side, thereby further improving the temperaturedifferential. The above example is not intended to be limiting in anyway.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the TE module 94 is clamped between thecombustion chamber portion 60 and the heat sink 72 by a clamping device98. The clamping device 98 aligns the combustion chamber portion 60,heat sink 72, and TE module 94 with one another. The alignment betweencomponents facilitates distribution of the clamping load over the TEmodule 94. The distribution of the load prevents damage to the TE module94 and maintains a good interface between the backside 132 of thecombustion chamber portion 60, the TE module 94, and the heat sink 72.

The clamping device 98 includes a generally C-shaped aluminum bar 100.The bar 100 has arms that attach to the heat sink 72 such that the bar100 encircles the combustion chamber portion 60 and TE module 94. Asshown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the arms of the bar 100 each include recesses101 that interlock with protrusions 103 provided on the heat sink 72.This arrangement allows sliding movement of the bar 100 along the heatsink 72 to allow proper alignment of the bar 100 with the combustionchamber portion 60 and TE module 94. However, the bar 100 may beconnected to the heat sink 72 in any other suitable manner.

The clamping device 98 also includes a spring-biased pin assembly 102,which provides a single point of contact on the combustion chamberportion 60. It has been found that by applying a single point of contactto the combustion portion 60 that is substantially aligned with thecenter of the TE module 94, the heat being conducted from the combustionchamber portion 60 may be substantially evenly distributed across the TEmodule 94. The pin assembly 102 is attached to the bar 100 andoperatively engaged with the combustion chamber portion 60 so as to thebias the combustion chamber portion 60 towards the heat sink 72. Thisarrangement clamps the TE module 94 between the combustion chamberportion 60 and the heat sink 72. The biasing force exerted by the pinassembly 102 may be adjusted so as to adjust the load being exerted tothe TE module 94. Specifically, the pin assembly 102 includes a fastener104, a pin 106, and a spring 108. The fastener 104 is threadably engagedwith the bar 100. The pin 106 is biased away from the fastener 104, andinto the combustion chamber portion 60, by spring 108. The fastener 104can be suitably adjusted to adjust the biasing force being exerted bythe pin 106 onto the combustion chamber portion 60.

As shown in FIG. 2, a supplemental insect attractant element is mountedin an upper end of the outlet nozzle 34. The insect attractant elementincludes a housing 110 and a cap 112. The cap 112 has locking elementsfor releasably securing it to the sub-housing 24. The attractant usedinside the housing 110 may be octenol or any other material that mimicsa mammalian smell that will assist in attracting mosquitoes and otherflying insects. The housing 110 has one or more openings for enablingthe attractant to mix with the exhaust gas and become part of theexhaust flow. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 110 hasprotrusions 114 that releasably attach the housing 110 to thesub-housing 24. When the user desires, the attractant can be removed andreplaced as needed by removing the cap 112 to access the housing 110.

As noted above, a controller, powered by the TE module 94, controlsoperation of the device 10. In the illustrated embodiment, thecontroller includes first and second circuit boards 116, 118 that areelectrically connected with one another. The first circuit board 116 ispositioned on a rear of the sub-housing 24 and the second circuit board118 is positioned on a side of the sub-housing 24. However, it should beunderstood that the controller may be constituted by a single circuitboard or a plurality of circuit boards.

The components of the device 10 are electrically connected to thecircuit boards 116, 118. This enables the controller to control andmonitor these components. Moreover, the controller may be manipulated bythe user to selectively control the components.

In the illustrated embodiment, the solenoid 76, igniter 92, and TEmodule 94 (all positioned toward a rear of the sub-housing 24) arecommunicated to the first circuit board 116 of the controller. Theexhaust fan 41, the intake fan 48, and an LED display 120 arecommunicated to the second circuit board 118.

The circuit boards are primarily powered by the TE module 94. Also, abattery 122 is coupled to the second circuit board 118 and an array ofsolar power panels 124 provided on the upper shell 18 of the housing 14is coupled to the first circuit board 116. The battery 122 and solarpower panels 124 provide alternative power supplies to the controller.However, the controller may be powered by any other suitable method,e.g., a standard electrical plug. As illustrated, the battery 122 issecured within a compartment provided on the sub-housing 24. Thecompartment has a pivotably movable lid that can be secured in a closedposition, e.g., with a snap fit.

When the flying insect trapping device 10 is turned on, the controllercan turn on the fans 41, 48 and perform a diagnostic check on the fans41, 48. If the diagnostic check of the fans 41, 48 fails or the fans 41,48 fail to turn on, the controller can stop the device and provide anindication to the user, via the LED display 120, that there was an errorwith the fans 41, 48. Once the fans 41, 48 are on and the diagnostictests for the fans 41, 48 have been passed, the controller can open thesolenoid 76, turn on the igniter 92, and perform a diagnostic test ofthe rest of the device. The diagnostic test of the rest of the deviceincludes, for example, testing the igniter 92, the solenoid 76, etc.Again, if the diagnostic test at fails, the controller can provide anindication to the user via the LED display 120 as to which test failed.

The controller can also check the temperature of the system. If thetemperature is between predetermined magnitudes, the system can continueto operate normally. Otherwise, the system can perform a temperaturemaintenance process.

The device 10 has a manually operable on/off switch, e.g., push-buttonswitch 126, mounted adjacent the LED display 120. The switch 126 iscommunicated to the controller and can be selectively pushed orotherwise actuated by the user to activate the controller to turn thedevice on and off. The LED display 120 can indicate if the device ison/off, as wells as fan operation, temperature, etc.

Also, an audible chime 128 may be coupled to the controller and alarmthe user of malfunction, etc.

The foregoing specific embodiments have been provided to illustrate thestructural and functional principles of the present invention, and arenot intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the present invention isintended to encompass all modifications, alterations, and substitutionswithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1. A device using a combustible fuel as a fuel source, the devicecomprising: a supporting frame; a combustion chamber mounted on saidsupporting frame and including, an inlet port for receiving thecombustible fuel; a heat zone downstream of said inlet port and having ahollow interior space to enable the combustible fuel to flow into theheat zone for continuous combustion therein; a catalyst element disposeddownstream of said heat zone to create a carbon dioxide exhaust gas; anda heat exchanger element extending inwardly into the hollow interiorspace of the heat zone for conducting heat generated by the continuouscombustion; an exhaust outlet for carbon dioxide exhaust gas to flowoutwardly therethrough to the environment; a heat sink configured todissipate heat; and a thermoelectric element for generating electriccurrent as heat transfers from a first side thereof to a second sidethereof, the thermoelectric element having the first side disposed incontact with the combustion chamber and the second side disposed incontact with the heat sink to enable heat generated by the continuouscombustion to be transferred to the heat sink via the thermoelectricelement to generate the electric current, the thermoelectric elementbeing electrically coupled to at least one other component supported onsaid frame to at least partially power said at least one othercomponent.
 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a controller incommunication with the thermoelectric element and the at least one othercomponent device being powered by said thermoelectric element, thecontroller being configured to receive the electrical current generatedby the thermoelectric element and to communicate said current to the atleast one other component.
 3. The device of claim 2, further comprisingan exhaust element in communication with the controller, the exhaustelement being positioned to draw the exhaust gas from the combustionchamber and push the exhaust gas out into the environment.
 4. The deviceof claim 1, further comprising a clamping element for pressing thecombustion chamber against the thermoelectric element to substantiallyevenly distribute the heat being conducted from the combustion chamberacross the first side of the thermoelectric element, wherein theclamping element is connected to the heat sink and is configured toapply a single point of contact to the combustion chamber, the singlepoint of contact being substantially aligned with a center of thethermoelectric element.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the clampingelement comprises a C-clamp that is connected to the heat sink at eachend thereof, and a plunger that is connected to the C-clamp at a centralportion thereof, and applies the single point of contact to thecombustion chamber at a surface opposite the heat sink.
 6. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the catalyst element comprises a monolith with aplurality of essentially straight conduits extending therethrough, theconduits having a catalyst on a surface thereof.
 7. The device of claim1, wherein the heat exchanger element includes a metal selected from thegroup consisting of aluminum and copper.
 8. The device of claim 7,wherein another portion of the combustion chamber that does not directlycontact the heat exchanger element includes a ceramic material.
 9. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a volume of said heat exchangerelement to a volume of said interior space of said heat zone is in arange of about 0.05 to about 0.15.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein aratio of a volume of said heat exchanger element to a volume of saidinterior space of said heat zone is in a range of about 0.09 to about0.13.
 11. A device having a fuel supply containing a combustible fuel,comprising: a combustion chamber including a heat zone having aninterior space, combustion occurring in said heat zone to generate anexhaust gas that is exhausted to the environment; a heat transferelement extending into said heat zone interior space of said combustionchamber to conduct heat generated by the combustion away from said heatzone interior space and toward a back side of said combustion chamber,an exhaust outlet configured to receive said exhaust gas and to direct aflow of exhaust gas outwardly therethrough to said environment; athermoelectric module having a hot side in contact with said back sideof said combustion chamber and a cold side spaced from said combustionchamber back side, said thermoelectric module generating electriccurrent from heat transferred from said combustion chamber back side, tosaid thermoelectric module hot side and then to said thermoelectricmodule cold side; and said electric current generated by saidthermoelectric module being used to power a component of said device.12. The device as set forth in claim 11, further comprising: an inletchamber mounted on one end of said combustion chamber that provides anair/propane mixture to said combustion chamber; a diffuser plate mountedwithin said combustion chamber adjacent said inlet chamber, saiddiffuser plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough to reducefuel flow turbulence; a catalytically active monolith positioned in saidcombustion chamber downstream from said diffuser plate, said monolithhaving a series of elongated essentially linear conduits formed througha length thereof; and a catalyst element positioned downstream from saidmonolith, the linear conduits in said monolith configured to helpdistribute exhaust gas flow more evenly over said catalyst element. 13.The device as set forth in claim 12, further comprising: an uncoatedcatalytically inactive monolith positioned between said diffuser plateand said catalytically active monolith; and an insulating materialpositioned radially between each of said two monoliths and an interiorsurface of said combustion chamber.
 14. The device as set forth in claim13, wherein said combustion chamber further comprises a laminating zoneand a catalyst zone, said catalytically inactive monolith being locatedin said laminating zone and said catalytically active monolith beinglocated in said catalyst zone, a combustion point in said heat zonebeing positioned between said laminating zone and said catalyst zone.15. The device of claim 11, wherein a ratio of a volume of said heattransfer element to a volume of said interior space of said heat zone isin a range of about 0.05 to about 0.15.
 16. The device of claim 11,wherein a ratio of a volume of said heat transfer element to a volume ofsaid interior space of said heat zone is in a range of about 0.09 toabout 0.13.
 17. The device of claim 11, further comprising a controllerin communication with the thermoelectric module and the component devicebeing powered by said thermoelectric module, the controller beingconfigured to receive the electrical current generated by thethermoelectric module and to communicate said current to the componentbeing powered by said thermoelectric module.
 18. The device as set forthin claim 1, wherein said heat transfer element defines a plurality ofchannels that minimize disruption of exhaust gas flow through saidcombustion chamber.
 19. The device as set forth in claim 18, whereinsaid heat transfer element includes a plurality of fins that define saidchannels, said fins extending radially inwardly from an inner wall ofsaid chamber so as to extend only partly across said interior space. 20.The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said heat transfer elementincludes a plurality of fins that extend radially inwardly from an innerwall of said chamber so as to extend only partly across said interiorspace.